Please note: Restaurant hours, locations, and menus are subject change, so please visit the restaurant website or call in advance of visiting.

Warning, The Hot Wing King at the Kilstrom Theatre is bound to make you crave hot wings. After all, the story follows a man determined to perfect his wing recipe and win a trophy for the best chicken wings at the local Hot Wang Festival. Of course it’s theater, so things don’t go quite that simply.

King of Wings. Photo by Linnea Covington

However, getting chicken wings in real life is easy, especially with so many great options around town. From super-hot Buffalo wings to sweet Asian style to dry-rubbed Parmesan, here are some of the best places to go.

KING OF WINGS TAPHOUSE
7741 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge
1100 Arapahoe St., Golden

Like many good food stories, King of Wings started as a food truck in 2015. Founders and childhood friends, Eddie Renshaw and Evan Pierce launched the first brick-and-mortar in Wheat Ridge in 2020. At the end of 2021 a kitchen fire closed the spot for three months, but the team bounced back and now, not only is the original spot open, but a Golden location was added too in February 2024.

Dubbed King of Wings Tap & Tequila, the new restaurant has twice as much space as the first, even more sauces, and is open for lunch. But no matter which place you check out, each serves the amazing slow-cooked, grilled wings with options of sauce including spicy Thai, Cajun rub, bourbon Buffalo, tangy gold, and more.

Photo courtesy MAKfam

MAKfam
39 W. 1st Ave., Denver

There are so many reasons to go to chef Kennith Wan and Doris Yuen’s MAKfam in Denver, but the Mala Wings might be the best. They are dry and coated in a tingling spice that leaves your mouth cool and burning at the same time. With a combination of both legs and flats, the large wings are juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside…the perfect combination.

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN
3801 W. 32nd Ave., Denver
300 Logan St., Denver

One of the most popular spots for hot wings is Fire On the Mountain, which has served the West Highland neighborhood since 2012. Co-owned by Sara Sawicki and Jordan Busch, the team opened a second location in Washington Park in 2019. While Fire On the Mountain feels very Colorado, the concept originally launched in Oregon in 2005, where three locations remain.

Each spot is dedicated to being as eco-friendly as possible. All the chicken is cage-free and antibiotic-free. The food scraps get composted, and all the to-go packaging is compostable too. The team also recycles all the cooking oil. As for the actual wings, each is deep fried fresh and tossed with the diner’s choice of sauce or dry rub. Flavors include lime cilantro, Jamaican jerk, spicy peanut, raspberry-habanero, four kinds of Buffalo, Cajun dry rub, and more. A vegan seitan option is also available.

CD’s. Photo by Hard Knock PR

SMŌK DENVER
3330 Brighton Blvd., Denver

While chef Bill Espiricueta makes a lot of tasty barbecue at his RiNo restaurant, the wings have always stood out. Like the other meats, the wings get smoked to perfection, balancing out the umami richness of chicken with a seductive and sweet smoky essence. Get wings either tossed with Buffalo sauce or rubbed with jerk seasoning, and add on ranch or blue cheese to complete the meal. Find Smōk inside The Source Hotel & Markethall.

BONCHON
Various locations

If you love Korean fried chicken, Jinduk Seo’s mini chain BonChon is the place to go. The restaurant started in New York City in 2006 and came to Denver in 2018. Now the brand has six Colorado locations, including places in Aurora, Colorado Springs, and Westminster.

Each place maintains the same double-fried method, and the chef coats the wings in either soy garlic, spicy sauce, or Korean BBQ. Get them as flats, drums, or boneless, in three sizes. Over the years BonChon has expanded to include more Korean dishes on the menu, as well as classic small bites such as potstickers, takoyaki, and edemame.

CD’s. Photo by Hard Knock PR

CD’S WINGS
7685 W. 88th Ave. Westminster (original location)
Other locations available

What started as a hot spot in Westminster in 2003 is now a popular brand outside the suburb. The man behind the expansion is Dean Copeland, who has no plans to change the original award-winning recipe that makes CD’s so good. Instead, he is streamlining the process and making the new CD’s Wings fast casual and more assessable to those in Parker, Arvada, and Aurora.

There are over 20 sauces to choose from, starting with the mild garlic Parmesan, teriyaki, and lemon pepper. The heat starts to creep up after that, with Buffalo-honey, chipotle ranch, and Cajun. The spiciest wings are the No 1 Left Standing, a hot Buffalo style, Uncle Nasty’s House, and XXX-Hot. Choose your temperature, and enjoy some of the best wings around.